


Dimensional Alignment

by Peacetoworld



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), College, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Deception, Demon Deals, Demonic Possession, Dubious Consent, Human Bill Cipher, Jealousy, Lies, M/M, Monster Hunters, Mystery Twins, Possessive Behavior, Rape/Non-con Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:55:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28598043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peacetoworld/pseuds/Peacetoworld
Summary: When Dipper turns 18, the time is ripe for more than just the start of college. Once every 3000 years, the Nightmare Realm hovers dangerously close to Dimension 46, Dipper’s home universe. And that time is now. Beings from the Nightmare Realm are popping in and out of Gravity Falls and threatening the good townsfolk. It’s up to the mystery twins to stop them.But Bill Cipher has other plans for them. Well, for Dipper, specifically.
Relationships: Bill Cipher/Dipper Pines, Dipper Pines & Mabel Pines
Comments: 3
Kudos: 38





	Dimensional Alignment

Today was a good day for Dipper. It was his first day at Hickory University, a small, quaint college he’d chosen due to its close proximity to Gravity Falls. 

He was happily surprised when his twin sister Mabel had also decided to attend the small college for her secondary education -- an education in communications, broadcasting specifically, of all things. 

Together, they’d carried, heaved, and lugged all her belongings to her new dorm that morning. 

“Okay, I think that’s all of it! Thanks so much for the help, Dips!” she called out loudly from behind her new door. 

Dipper came into the small, bare apartment shortly after, carrying a heavy box filled with god-knows-what and enthusiastically wrapped and sealed in pink, phosphorescent duck tape. 

He squinted his eyes at her. “Are you sure, Mabes? You said that, like, two hauls ago.”

She retorted in a sing-songy voice, “I’m _positive!_ Alright, set that box down in my new room, and then let’s go get all your junk and move you in! I’ll put this all away later.” 

They made the quick trip back to Gravity Falls in twenty minutes flat, and shoved everything Dipper was taking with him to college inside the backseat of his car. 

Mabel’s eyes widened, noting the empty space left.

“That’s it?! What, are you a minimalist now?” She punched him in the shoulder in a way that was meant to be light, but clearly wasn’t by Dipper’s resounding ‘Ow.’

His eyes scanned self-consciously over his boxes and various objects. 

“That’s plenty,” he decided, trying to make his voice sound more sure of himself than he felt. 

“O-ookay, if you say so bro-bro.”

While they had needed to take three trips back-and-forth between the Mystery Shack and Mabel’s dorm for all her stuff -- it would have been two had she not forgotten her sewing supplies, crafting needles, and many brightly colored skeins of yarn -- it only took one trip to haul Dipper’s. 

They parked, and he checked his move-in package for his dorm building, floor, and room information. 

Eyes shifting between the printed numbers and the building in front of them, he hummed, “Hmm, seems like this is the place.”

Mabel was practically jumping up and down in her seat beside him.

“Ooh! This is so exciting! Looks like we ended up about a ten minute walk from each other. Your building looks old and kinda decrepit. Like the floor could give out at any moment.”

Dipper smacked his forehead and groaned. “Gee, thanks for the thought. Now, whenever I go to bed, I’ll be thinking of that and worrying.” 

Mabel unbuckled her seatbelt and headed for his side of the car. She opened his door and tugged him up.

“Oh, _come on_. Lighten up! Hey, maybe there’s something supernatural in there!”

They each grabbed a box and locked the car. Dipper fumbled around with the two keys he was given until he finally unlocked the building, and then they headed up to the second floor.

If the exterior hadn’t convinced him of how old and poorly-maintained this building was, then the interior certainly had. The floorboards creaked and groaned underneath their footsteps. The walls looked like they had once been painted a pristine white, but were now fading and dirtied into more of a sickly yellow sheen. 

Mabel’s eyes were rapidly catching on anything and everything in the hallway. She pinched her face in disgust. “Yikes! You couldn’t pay me to switch rooms with you.”

Her twin glared at her. “Just how did you get to move into the newly renovated building, and I got -- got _this_?”

Mabel’s face turned cheeky. She sang out, “Oh, you know, friends in high places and all that.” 

He widened his eyes at her in shock. “You didn’t.”

She was gleeful now, the corners of her mouth turned up into a grin. “But I did! Or rather, she did hee hee.”

Dipper was incredulous. His feet kept stepping in front of him, but he was entirely on auto-pilot now. He couldn’t believe that his sister had gotten Pacifica Northwest of all people to do her a favor. Pacifica was the snootiest, most self-serving person he had ever met. 

But Mabel had always had charm. She was good around people, a natural socializer unlike him. Their stark differences cut into him like cuts from a knife, and he felt his insecurities deepen. 

_No_ , this was going to be different. College was going to be different. He’d make friends, maybe even find someone to love... His past, insecure introverted shell of a self be damned!

He heard a voice call out from behind him.

“Uh, Dip, I think this is your room.”

He swiveled around, and looked up at the number plate. Room 204. Yep, this was it. 

He wondered if his suitemate had moved in yet, or if he would be the first one. If he was first, he could claim the best room. 

Dipper took a deep breath. “You’re right. Must’ve glanced over it. My bad.” He shoved his hand in his pants pocket and grabbed the remaining key. 

_Here goes nothing._

The doorknob turned, and the door creaked open. He glanced inside the room for any signs of life, but it looked as bare as Mabel’s had that morning. 

Looks like he was first.

He picked up his box that he had set down, and beckoned Mabel inside. They each set down their boxes inside and had a look around.

When Mabel spoke, her voice echoed slightly against the walls. In stark contrast to the hallway outside, the inside had been painted a deep brown hue. It felt earthy and inviting. “You know, this isn’t actually _that_ bad. You know, for a hundred-year-old building and all that.”

They glanced at the drab kitchenette and then made their way to the first bedroom.

Dipper creaked the door open, and then promptly slammed it shut. 

“Ah! Sorry!” his voice yelped out. “I didn’t think anyone was here yet!” 

Mabel lifted her eyebrow. A moment later, the door opened fully. 

Standing in the doorway was a tall, lanky fellow wearing a forest green sweater and earthy brown pants that matched the walls around them. 

He flashed a warm smile at them. “Hello there. Name’s Ben.” The dark-haired man glanced at Dipper, and their eyes met. His voice was deeply entrancing, honeyed in tone. “I take it you’re Mason?”

_Oh crap, he’s hot._

Dipper coughed violently, and tried to get the unwelcomed thought out of his head. 

“Uh, yeah,” he managed to get out.

Ben turned his gaze to the similar-looking brunette beside him. “And this is…?”

“This is my sister, Mabel. She’s helping me move in.”

Without a moment’s delay, Mabel stuck out her hand in typical energetic, Mabel fashion. “Hi! Name’s Mabel, but you can call me whatever you want, _dreamboat._ ” She fluttered her eyes up at him.

Dipper’s mouth fell open in indignation over his sister’s words. He quickly turned to look at his new suitemate, worried for any damage Mabel might have just put on their relationship. Maybe Ben hated him now, thought him and his sister distasteful and wanted nothing to do with them. Maybe he would never talk to him again after this. Only the first day, hell the first minute, and already a bridge had been burned!

But if Ben felt any revulsion, he didn’t let it show. Instead, the smile on his face widened a smidge. “Mabel it is then.” He shook her hand and then turned back to look at Dipper. “Well, do you need any help moving in, Mason? I’m already all settled in, and classes don’t start till tomorrow.”

Dipper felt his cheeks redden. Why was he having this reaction? And why was it so strong? He flustered for an answer, staring deeply into his hazel eyes and taking in the sharp angles of his face. 

“N- no! We’re all good, actually! But thank you for offering. I didn’t bring much. Oh, and you can call me Dipper, by the way. Pretty much everyone calls me that.” 

Ben stared into his eyes for a moment, and with every passing second, Dipper felt the red in his cheeks darken. Finally, he simply said, “Okay, Dipper.”

Ben looked between the twins one more time. “Well, if you need me, I’ll be in here. I hope you don’t mind I claimed this room?”

Dipper was quick to assure him. “No! Not at all. Sorry again for barging in without knocking; won’t happen again.”

He turned away before he could make more of a fool of himself, and headed to his new room. 

The walls were the same earthy brown as in the common space, and there was a window looking out onto the forest that surrounded the college. A bare bed stood in one corner of the room. In another corner sat an old, beat up desk made of oak wood that had certainly seen better days. 

_Guess this is it. Home sweet home._

He put down the box he’d carried from the car into an empty corner of the room, and Mabel did the same. Wordlessly, they headed back to the car for another haul.

The moment his room was out of eyesight, and she was sure that Ben had no hope of hearing them, Mabel spoke up. “Okay, I take it back. You _can_ pay me to switch rooms with you! You don’t even need to pay me. I’ll move in free of charge to live with that hottie.”

Dipper clamped a hand over her mouth. “Shh! Or do you want everyone here to think I’m a creep?”

Mabel continued to talk against his hand, but the words were jumbled and incoherent. Dipper shook his head at her. His eyes were angry at first, but they melted and looked pleading. “Can you just _not_ do that? Mabel, please, this is hard for me! Please don’t make it any harder than it already is.”

Mabel’s eyes softened in response. She looked at her brother with nothing but love in her eyes. Sure that she wouldn’t say anything else that would be embarrassing, he removed his hand from her lips. 

“Sorry, bro-bro. I get carried away sometimes.” She put a comforting arm around him. “I’m sure things will work out greatly between you and your new suitemate! And look at all these rooms we’re passing. Each door in this building is another opportunity for friendship!” 

Dipper took a deep breath and listened to the optimism in her voice. He closed his eyes for a moment and focused on it, willing it to invade his body and take root within him. But the lightness he felt from it faded the moment she stopped talking. He couldn’t keep the flame lit without her words, and soon he felt himself fall back into the murky blackness of his insecurities. 

It was nearly seven-o-clock by the time he had unpacked all his things and settled into the room. His stomach growled. He’d hardly eaten all day. Too tired to cook -- not to mention that he’d hardly brought any groceries and hadn’t had a chance to go shopping yet -- he decided to order takeout. He knocked lightly on Ben’s door.

The door clicked open. Dipper’s eyes took in the man standing before him. His hair was dripping wet and matted across the top of his head. A black robe cascaded in soft ripples over his body. He must have just stepped out of the shower. 

“Yeah?” Ben queried. His eyes were smouldering. Dipper felt that if he stared at them for too long, his eyesight would start to burn. He looked away. 

“Uh-” Dipper took a moment to remember why he was standing in front of this god of a man. “-I was going to order some takeout food. Chinese. Do you want anything?”

“Oh. Hmmm,” the man hummed, a deep rumbling that Dipper found he could listen to for days and still not be tired of it. 

His eyes flicked over Dipper’s body, taking him in. His gaze turned seductive, and he replied suggestively. “No, I’m not in the mood for Chinese. I was thinking of something more local…”

Dipper’s insides were screaming. _Was that--? Did he just--?_ No, he must have read it wrong, there was no way he was being flirted at. 

“Oh. Okay.” Dipper turned and began to walk away, but stopped when he heard Ben call out his name from behind him.

“Hey Dipper?”

He froze. “Y-yeah?”

“Did you bring a TV for the common room? I was thinking it might be nice to watch something together sometime.”

Dipper suddenly hated the fact that he had packed so light. His mind turned to the small TV that sat abandoned at his parent’s house in California. Perhaps he could get it shipped here.

“No, I, uh, forgot it. But I might be able to get it mailed out here.”

Ben’s reply sounded like he was frowning, but Dipper hadn’t turned back to face him. “Oh. Bummer. Well, enjoy your food.” A moment later, the door clicked shut. 

Dipper’s heart was pounding out of his chest. Why was he feeling like this? He needed to get himself under control, there was no way he was going to alienate his suitemate before classes had even begun.

He shut himself in his room, only going out to retrieve his food before promptly shutting himself in again. No mistakes. He couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. 

He curled into his bed and thought of the day that lay ahead of him. Classes full of new faces and new information. He was excited, but he forced it to ebb and let his drowsiness lull himself into sleep.

His dream was senseless, a mix-match amalgamation of various thoughts and feelings surrounding the start of his new college life. What would the people in his classes be like? Or his professors? Their empty faces filled his dreams. Would they be friendly? Book smart? Could any be interested or even involved in the paranormal like him?

Would he be able to make friends here, unlike in high school? Would he… would he find romance? The dark-haired man filled his head. In his warm, forest green sweater, hugging Dipper firmly. In his seductive black robe, his eyes salaciously looking up and down Dipper’s body. Then it all disappeared, and his mind went blank. 

The scene shifted to the forest outside his dorm window. Dipper suddenly felt more aware than he should be in his dream. And all the sensations felt so realistic and fully fleshed out, nothing like the hazy, half-detailed scenes from his usual dreams. His bare feet were cold against the soft grass beneath him. He curled his toes into the dirt, savoring the feeling. He glanced up at the night sky, and noted the intricate details he was sure his mind could not have concocted. The stars shimmered beautifully. A few wispy clouds weaved in and out between their shining points. He scanned the sky for his constellation and found it.

A sudden high-pitched voice startled him. “Wow wow wow! Look at you, Pine Tree. It’s amazing what a mere few years can do to you humans.”

Dipper’s eyes widened at the familiar voice. He shook his head, denying the possibility. His teeth grinded together. Finally, he looked in the direction that the voice had come from. 

Hovering a good few feet above the ground and looking down at him was none other than Bill Cipher, the dangerous dream demon that haunted Gravity Falls and his family. But what was he doing here? In Dipper’s mind? He hadn’t been summoned. And he had no power here.

Dipper focused and willed the dream demon out of his mind. Bill had no power here; this was Dipper’s mind.

But the glowing yellow triangle remained. If a being with a single eye and without a mouth could smirk, Bill was smirking at Dipper. 

His single eye narrowed at Dipper, full of mirth and boasting. “I’m afraid you’ll find that you can’t do that right now, Pine Tree. Go ahead and try all you want, but I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. Ha!”

Frustrated, Dipper tried again. The dream demon should have no power here.

So why was he still here?

When Dipper reopened his eyes, he found that Bill had vanished from his spot. Instead, the angular figure was now circling him a few inches above his head. 

When Dipper spoke, his voice was hard. He forced the words out. “How are you here, Bill?”

Bill’s eye flickered with surprise. “Even your voice has changed! So many changes in such a short time.” His voice changed, growing deeper. “Your mind’s changed too.” 

Bill projected a man in the middle of his body like a screen. With a shock, Dipper realized the man to be Ben. 

“There’s a gold mine in your mind surrounding this guy. Who is he?”

Dipper felt his face begin to flush, and he looked away. “He’s just my suitemate,” he spat out. “I already asked you, Bill. How are you here? _What_ are you doing here? Get out of my head.”

“I’m hurt, Pine Tree. It’s been years since I last saw you, and you already want me gone? And right when everything’s about to start, too!”

“ _What’s_ about to start?” 

“Oh, just the alignment between our dimensions!” Bill sighed deeply. “Ah, it’s such a wonderful time! You should really feel lucky that you’re around to witness it. After all, it only happens once every 3000 years! And you pathetic humans hardly live even to 100, ha!”

Dipper was fuming and had a million questions on his mind. He started with the most obvious. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Bill was now poking various parts of him. His black hand shot out to poke him in the ribs, his elbow, his forming biceps. He flew up a few inches higher and tousled his curly brown locks. Dipper swatted him away.

Bill’s eye flashed a darker shade before settling back into its usual mirthful stare. “Oh, I think I won’t tell you what that entails. It’ll be more _fun_ that way.”

Dipper hardly managed to get a single syllable out before Bill cut him off. “Wha-”

Dipper suddenly found himself without possession of a mouth. 

Bill wagged his finger at him and tsked. “Ah, ah, ah, Pine Tree. No more questions. I’m a busy being; there’s _so_ much to do. Nightmares to cast, people to mislead, deals to be made, you know the usual. 

“This was just a quick, friendly visit. Just thought I’d stop by and greet my _old friend_ after so long, and my, what a great decision that was. Toodles!”

It was only when Bill left that Dipper noticed. Why hadn’t he noticed sooner. The lack of color around him was glaringly obvious now. He eyed the monochromatic trees angrily and stomped up to one to kick his frustrations into it. 

Stupid! Stupid!

But there was nothing he could do about it now; that was all in the past. Dipper took a deep breath to calm himself and channeled his emotions into something more productive. 

He gathered what little facts he had. Bill was more powerful now. That much was obvious. He could exist in his mind and manipulate it without Dipper’s permission, something he had not been able to do previously. Bill said that some kind of dimensional alignment was happening right now between the Nightmare Realm and his own dimension. Maybe that’s why Bill was more powerful? How long would it last?

Was it even happening? All Dipper had to go off of was Bill’s word, and Bill was one of the most conniving liars he knew. 

He let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his hair. He noted how messy it was, and remembered Bill touching it just moments before. He shivered. 

He forced himself awake and looked at his alarm clock. 6:14. At least it wasn’t too ungodly of an hour. He stumbled in the dark, bumping his right foot on an out-of-place box. He cursed silently, and then made his way for the light switch. 

He fumbled around in his desk drawer until he found a pencil and notebook. He began to record the events that had just transpired, his thoughts, and his plans. Should he involve Mabel yet, the other half to the mystery twins? 

His head was running wild with possible moves for the next three hours.


End file.
